Helicopter toy



29,- 1944. A. RoBlNs HELICOPTER TOY.

Filed March 9, 1944 4 2 3 ||1 5 Y rf: I w; ,7% [HIM UH-v f' ft IN V EN TOR.

4 Trae/vg Y Patented Aug. 29, 1944 HELICOPTER TOY Adolf Robins, White Plains, N. Y., assignor to Tip Top Toy Company, New York, N. Y., a'

copartnership Application March 9, 1944, Serial No. 525,673

1 Claim.

The present invention is directed to toys, and more particularly, to a toy which has moving parts adapted to bel actuated by the rolling thereof on wheels. Among such toys is a helicopter.

Toys of this type are well known, as, for example, there has been proposed a helicopter toy having a horizontal set of blades adapted to be rotated by the Wind, and bevel gear connections between the landing wheels of the helicopter and the horizontal blades as well as the propeller thereof. These features rendered thevtoy quite expensive and the structure thereof was complicated. Therefore, it was easily broken or went out of commission with but slight handling.

The present invention is intended and adapted to provide a toy, for instance, of the helicopter type, which is simple in construction and which may be readily manufactured by relatively inexpensive workers.

It is also among the objects of the present invention to provide a toy wherein the motion of the driving wheels causes rotation of certain elements of the'toy to simulate a natural action or movement.

In practicing the present invention, there is provided in a preferred form, a helicopter toy having a pair of driving wheels or landing gear and a horizontal helicopter propeller vor set of blades. Extending downwardly from the blades is a rod in a vertical position and passing through an opening in the body of the toy. The opening is vertical and cylindrical and the diameter thereof is considerably greater than the diameter of the rod in order to allow a considerable space for lateral movement of the rod. At thelower end thereof is a horizontal friction disk adapted to cooperate with a friction wheel secured to the axle of the landing gear.

The helicopter blades extend laterally to points beyond the rim of the friction disk, and the weight of the rod and blades exerts a pressure between the friction disk and friction Wheel, thus insuring adequate contact and a positive rotation of the blades upon rotationof the driving wheels. Even if the toy is not in a horizontal position,

but is tilted to a considerable angle, the pres-V sure exerted by the Weight of the blades causes friction with said disk and Wheel since there is no binding because of the large diameter of the opening through which the rod passes.

In the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof, and in which like reference characters indicate like parts:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a helicopter toy made in accordance with the present invention, some parts being shown in cross-section for clearness; and

- Fig. 2v is a front elevational view thereof. Y The body or fuselage I of the helicopter toy has the usual vertical propeller 2 at the front thereof and the rear end A3 is provided with a ltail'd which consists of a vertically placed flat member secured by a groove and tongue arrangement 5 to the end 3. The lower end 6 thereof constitutes a tail skid and furnishes the third point of contact with the ground.

At the forward portion of body I there is a vertical cylindrical opening l, and a rod 8 isV tted into said opening. The diameter of the rod is very substantially less than the diameter of the opening. To the top of the rod is secured a propeller hub 9 having a series of horizontal helicopter blades I0 radiating therefrom. The lower'end of rod 8 is secured at the center of a friction disk II the rim I2 of which rests upon, and frictionally engages a vertically placed friction wheel I3. The latter is mounted on an axle I4, being xed thereto, the ends of the axle having a pair of driving Wheels I5 and I6 secured thereto. The extreme ends of blades I0 extend laterally to points beyond the rim I2 of disk I-I and assure a uniform pressure upon the disk in various positions of the toy.

A pair of flat pieces Il and I8 are secured at I9 and 20, respectively, to the sides of body I, at points approximately inline with opening I. The lower ends are provided with openings 2| and 22, respectively, which act as bearings for axle I4 and allow free rotation thereof. A pair of substantially horizontal wings 23 and 24 are secured to the sides of body I.at points just above pieces Il and I8, respectively.

In the position shown in Fig. l, the toy is at rest, with driving wheels I5 and Iii and tail skid 6 resting on a horizontal surface.. In such position, rod 8 is approximately centered in opening l. The weight of hub 9, blades I0, rod 8 and disk II is exerted upon friction Wheel I3, form ing a good frictional contact. When the toy is pulled, wheels I5 and I6 rotate causing rotation of axle I4 and friction wheel I3. YThe movement is transmitted to the rim I2 of disk Il and this causes rotation of rod 8 and. blades l0 mounted thereon. If the surface is ndt horizontal, rod 8 is not centrally located in opening l, but is out of contact with the Walls thereof, and thus the weight of the several parts is still exerted upon wheel I3, so that under all conditions of use the helicopter blades will be revolved upon rotation of the driving wheels.

Although I have described the invention setting forth a single embodiment thereof, it is apparent that the principles set forth herein may be utilized in toys of similar nature but of different kind. For instance, one may make a toy cart having the mechanism described herein, and mount a human or animal gure on the rod 8 to give movement thereto upon the movement of the Wheels of the cart. The top of the present invention is adapted to be maf-de of wood and it can be readily and cheaply formed from this material. However, other materials of construction may be used, either in whole or in part. The exact arrangement, size and design of the several parts may be varied to a great extent, as will be quite apparent. These and other changes may be made in the details of the invention, which is to be broadly construed and not to be limited except by the character of the claim appended hereto.

What I claim is:

' A toy helicopter comprising an elongated fuselage, a pair of `driving wheels secured to an axle, said fuselage being mounted on said axle so as to allow rotation of -said axle relative thereto,

a friction wheel secured to said axle intermep diate said wheels and parallel thereto, said friction being of lesser diameter than said driving Wheels, a horizontal friction disk above said friction wheel and contacting therewith along its rim, a central cylindrical rod xed to said disk and extending vertically upward through a vertical opening in said fuselage, said opening being cylindrical and its diameter being substantially greater than that of said rod, said rod and disk being free from direct connection with said body and being adapted for lateral and vertical movement relative to said body, a set of helicopter blades 4mounted on the upper end of said rod 'and providing pressure on said friction wheel and disk, the outer edges of said blades extending beyond vthe rim of said disk, wings extending laterally from the sides of said fuselage on opposite sides of said opening, said driving wheel mounting being secured to said fuselage below said wings, said wings being supported on said mounting, and a tail skid secured to the rear end of said fuselage, the height of said skid being such as to maintain said rod in Vertical position when said toy is on an approximately 'horizontal surface, said skid being a vertically placed flat member joined to said fuselage by a tongue and groove arrangement and extending above said fuselage to simulate a tail.

ADOLF ROBINSL 

